New analysis from Transport & Environment finds that planned expansions at 20 of Europe's largest airports would push each airport two to three times beyond its fair share of a 1.7C carbon budget. Even with sustainable aviation fuel and more efficient aircraft, the extra traffic from new runways and terminals overwhelms any emissions savings. The study highlights Lisbon, Porto, Dublin, and Madrid as the worst overshoots, with Portugal's planned Lisbon airport adding emissions equal to half a year of the country's total output. T&E calls on governments to halt expansions, end aviation tax exemptions, and redirect public funding to cleaner alternatives. The report also notes the legal risks for governments approving expansions and points to existing policy frameworks in the UK, France, and the Netherlands as models. The full report is available via the link.
